The Sega Master System can be seen as either a failure or success, it depends on which market you are talking about. While the console did poorly in the US market due to Nintendo's monopoly, the opposite can be said for some of the other markets, namely Europe.

The Master System was officially released in the States in 1986. The decision to release the console in the west before it was released in Japan was an attempt to catch up with the massive gain Nintendo already had on the market. Nintendo had very wisely taken advantage of the video game crash by plugging the gap in early 1985 with its new Famicom or Nintendo Entertainment System as it was known in America.

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The American consumers had gone mad for the new NES console, and at one point the demand for the machine was more than Nintendo could meet. They had waited too long for decent quality titles and Nintendo came armed with a number of high quality arcade conversions, and a few new titles to whet the consumer’s appetite. The console was a huge success and game developers flocked to Nintendo in droves, especially as Atari recently ceased to exist and the console market had all but dried up.

It’s a fact that Sega's Master System was technically the better machine. Just as the NES was based on the Famicom home computer, the Master System was also based on a home computer - the Sega SC-3000; its third machine. It had better specs the NES, and with Sega's knowledge and reputation of making quality arcade games, it should have done much better than it did. But in the end it had have nothing to do with the machines, but the way in which Nintendo dealt with software developers that made the SMS a flop.

Such was the demand for developers to produce games for the latest console, that Nintendo ruthlessly locked them into producing games exclusively for them. It was written into the licenses that the games could not be ported onto other machines, which effectively gave Nintendo a monopoly over the American Video game market. By the time Sega arrived on the scene, most developers were already associated with Nintendo, and only a handful were left for Sega.

Sega battled Nintendo for nearly two years for the American market before deciding to cut their losses. Nintendo had gained so much territory that Sega just could not compete. They handed over the control of the Sega Master System to Tonka Toys and concentrated their efforts in Europe where they had recently released the console. This proved to be a wise move for Sega and the Master System was much more successful here than anywhere else. This was almost a two-fingered salute to Nintendo who until now must have been smugly rubbing their hands all the way to the bank.

A large number of developers, most of who had made a name for themselves on the Commodore 64 and Spectrum home computers, started producing games for the SMS. In the same way that Nintendo America had secured all the best developers stateside, Sega managed to do the same in Europe (and without 'illegal' market practices). This was the turning point in Sega's fortune, and would be followed by a number of other 'victories' over Nintendo in the forthcoming years.

In 1989 Sega caused a stir with the release of the Genesis (Megadrive) console. This caused people in the States to change the way they felt about Sega, and Sega decided to buy back the rights to the Master System from Tonka. In all honesty, Tonka had been hopeless at marketing the SMS, and had made little or no difference to sales in the two years they had had control of the console. They hadn't won any additional developers and had mainly shipped poor titles over titles from Japan, most of which should have stayed there.

Sega redesigned the Master System, and released a 'bare bones' console - the Master System II, which was not much more than a box with a cartridge slot and a power switch. They dropped the price, and spent a great deal on advertising the console, and released a number of successful Genesis games, namely Streets of Rage & Sonic the Hedgehog. This improved sales slightly, but by now gamers had turned their attention to Sega's 16Bit console, so in reality the move came too late.

Sega finally found success with the Master System in South America. They licensed the console to Tec Toy, who redesigned the casing of the Master System II and released it as the Master System III in Brazil. The console and games were inexpensive to produce, and the sheer volume of Brazilian buyers meant the price dropped, which in turn meant even more people could afford the console. Indeed, the console was a massive success and was only taken off the shelves in 1997, after selling over 2 million units.

Personally, I loved the console. There were a number of great gun games (of which I am a fan) and while there were very few 3D games, I think the glasses worked remarkably well, even if they made me feel a little sick after more than an hour! I have always been a big advocate of the Wonderboy games, and with four such titles released on the SMS this is a good enough reason for it to be my preferred 8Bit console!

So there you have the history of the Master System. I can't help feeling sorry for Sega in some ways. The console failed in America because of Nintendo's illegal monopoly of the market, and the poor marketing of the console once Tonka took over. I can't help wondering what would have been if the developers had gone with Sega, the better of the two machines. Would the games have been any better? Would there have been more quality 8Bit titles? Or would we just have the same games in different packaging and different sized cartridges?

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A funky little joystick for the Sega Master System. The Bug Joystick controller is really small and fits comortably in the palm of your hand. The joystick and buttons are microswitched so you get a satisfying click when you move the stick! Tested and working.

The official Sega control pad that comes with the console. These controllers are quite hard to come by on their own and they are all clean and don't have any chunks missing like some controllers I've seen! I test all controllers by giving Streets of Rage a good thrashing before I send them! This item comes unboxed.

The official Sega controller pad. This is a tough, arcade style joystick with a big T-grip handle for more precise gaming control. Much better than the control pads that come with the console and much more durable. This item is fully tested and comes boxed with instructions.

The official Sega controller pad. This is a tough, arcade style joystick with a big T-grip handle for more precise gaming control. Much better than the control pads that come with the console and much more durable. This item is fully tested and comes unboxed without instructions.

The trouble with any console in my opinion is the controllers. Why are the cables always so short? You always have to sit so close to the TV, and if there are a number of you playing it gets even worse! Well here's the solution to your problems - a extension cable. Simply slot in onto the end of you controller and extend its length by 2 metres....

The official Sega Light Phaser. An high-tech light gun, for use with any light gun games such as Marksman Shooting, Space Gun and my personal favourite Rambo 3. Very sturdy and hardwearing. This item is fully tested and comes boxed with instructions.

The official Sega Light Phaser. An high-tech light gun, for use with any light gun games such as Marksman Shooting, Space Gun and my personal favourite Rambo 3. Very sturdy and hardwearing. This item is fully tested and comes unboxed without instructions.

The official RF lead that comes with your console. Connects your console to the TV and allows you TV aerial to be connected at the same time. Saves climbing around the back of your TV every time you want to play a game! This item is fully tested and comes unboxed without instructions.

An unbranded but brand new RF lead that will substitute the one that came with your console. Connects your machine to the TV - an ideal replacement if the original one that came with your console is lost or faulty. Length is one metre. This item is fully tested and is brand new.

A boxed official wireless controller. Enjoy playing your favourite Sega Master System games without cumbersome wires getting in the way. Controller requires two AA batteries (not included). The controller has been tested and works fine.

Take charge of your favourite club or national team from all over Europe in a whole host of different cup and league competitions. With all the atmosphere of European Soccer at it's highest level, you (and your friends) can take a squad of fifteen players on to cup glory!

From beyond the edge of darkness the warrior cries revenge. Shadow of the Beast in unleashed on the master system in a superlative arcade adventure. Relentless combat as the Beast battles over one hundred different alien forms in eight hostile regions of the supernatural world.

Have you got what it takes to last through four incredibly intense shoot 'em up games? A sharp eye? Steady Had? Split second timing? Lets hope so. Because its the only way you'll survive the Shooting Gallery.

This game is missing its instruction book. This game requires the Light Phaser.

Hello, fellow humans! Bartholemew J. Simpson here, with a very important secret: Space mutants are invading Springfield! A buncha slimy, putrid monsters are taking over the bodies of the people and wanna build a weapon that's gonna take over the entire planet! Anyway, yours truly is the only one who can see 'em cause of my X-Ray specs -...

Yo! here's the deal. I won the Krusty the Clown art contest so my family and I get to go on this really cool Worldwide Treasure Hunt to China, Egypt, the North Pole and Hollywood. And I need you to help to collect Krusty faces and Krusty products if I want to reach my final destination: a guest appearance on the itchy and scratchy show! Any...

Chop That Shot! Get in on all the excitement of a game so rough that it's sometimes called hand-to-hand combat on ice. This game brings twenty-four of the best teams from around the world into your living room for hours of fast-paced fun.

Inquisitive Smurf and Smurfette have broken the magic crystal and now they are being taken off to various parts of the world. Collect all the crystals to be found along your route. To reveal them, brave the sea-lions of the North-Pole, the Indians of America and the octopuses of the deep. Only after these challenges will you be able to return to...

Gargamel has just perfected a terrible plot to kidnap ALL the Smurfs. Four of them have disappeared already. You will have to brave the Angry Smurfs and Buzz flies before smurfing the mountain riding on a sledge, travel on the back of a stork and finally challenge the infamous Gargamel.

Ride a runaway rail cart, fly a hang glider through a raging storm, and shoot through a mind-boggling maze of twisting pipes as you and Sonic the Hedgehog race to save Tails and his friends from the evil Dr Robotnik!

From slimy sewers to a monstrous machine room, Dr. Robotnik's latest fortress is a giant pinball machine! Will it withstand a Sonic spin-vasion? Bounce from giant flippers and hissing steam vents. Rev through dizzying loops and up death-defying ramps.

Bust the video game speed barrier wide open with Sonic the Hedgehog. Blaze by in a blur using the Super Sonic Spin Attack. Loop the Loop by defying gravity. You can even spin around in a 360º rotating maze. You've never seen anything like it!

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From beyond the edge of darkness the warrior cries revenge. Shadow of the Beast in unleashed on the master system in a superlative arcade adventure. Relentless combat as the Beast battles over one hundred different alien forms in eight hostile...